Page 19 - LRCC FOCUS October 2021

Sinha says Covid-19 hit team working remotely,” said
members with compromised Rosingana. “With a lot of
immune systems especially organizations culturally
hard. Six-hundred Peckham looking at new ways to do
team members were forced business, it has really been
to take a voluntary layoff. an opportunity for us to
They were fortunately able to look at more ways that we
draw unemployment during can be more inclusive in
Covid-19. At the same time, the practices we have for all
persons with disabilities individuals.”
without compromised
immune systems found new ENDING THE STIGMA.
opportunities. Caine Mularz EMBRACING
DIFFERENCES.
“When things started to open
up, there was a help wanted Justin Caine suffered a brain
sign in every employer’s hemorrhage resulting from
door,” said Sinha. “That a cancerous tumor when
created new opportunities, he was in the fourth grade.
such as higher wages for Emergency surgery saved
persons with disabilities, that his life. Justin was in the
we hadn’t seen in quite some hospital for months and
time.” had to relearn how to walk,
talk and swallow. Justin
The pandemic has made Rosingana Sinha has overcome the odds
it clear that remote and associated with his disability,
hybrid work will be a eventually receiving a
part of our future for the college degree as he is now
long term. Many experts There are 500,000 individuals a successful businessperson,
view this development as with disabilities in Michigan. who employs others with
something that will open disabilities. Justin says the
more opportunities for There are 800,000 small biggest barrier that persons
persons with disabilities. The businesses in Michigan. If with disabilities face in
combination of remote work terms of employment is
options and chronic staffing half those small businesses overcoming the stigma of
shortages have led more having a disability.
employers to be willing to were willing to bring on one
make the accommodation or two qualified individuals “There is a belief that because
needed to hire persons with a person walks or talks
disabilities, which fosters with disabilities into their differently, or doesn’t walk or
innovation and retention. organization, disability talk, that it means they are

“It’s opened up the unemployment would be at incapable of doing work at a
level that someone without a
conversation,” said Rachel disability can do,” said Caine.
Mularz, director of career the same level as the general “That’s just not true.”
development and placement population.
services, Selective Case Sinha says people with
Management, a firm that mental health challenges
provides employment face some of the largest
services to individuals with disabilities. “Those that stigmas in terms of employment. However, she says
have/had barriers and are not able to work a traditional Covid may have offered a silver lining in that it has
schedule have an opportunity now.” created a greater awareness of and sensitivity to those
challenges.
According to Carrie Rosingana, CEO, Capital Area Michigan
Works!, the ability to work remotely and some of the “The impact and isolation of Covid, as well as the
accommodations that employers have made due to Covid uncertainty caused a lot of employers to understand
has shown that the workplace can accommodate all that the emotional health of their workforce is just as
individuals including persons with disabilities. important as their physical health,” said Sinha. “That
will help reduce some of the barriers for persons with
“Sometimes there are accommodations that can suit mental illness.”

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